Review: a Triple Concerto & a German Requiem with the TSO

Review

The three violin parts seem to babble, talk over each other, like a gaggle of enthusiastic talkers whose conversation borders on an argument. They echo each other in a three-fold cascade of gesture, single pitches splicing themselves into harmonies; there are moments of Strauss-like vocal writing, and what feels like an exciting nod towards the Toccata movement from John Adam's Violin Concerto.

Meeting for lunch: the COC Ensemble Studio in recital

Review

With the help of pianists Stéphane Mayer and Rachael Kerr, the seven singers of the 2017/18 Ensemble Studio broke the ice with a single aria each, showing off their start-of-season stuff. It was a collection of picks from the standard operatic canon for this concert entitled, Meet the Ensemble Studio; safe as their choices may have been, the young singers each made strong statements about what they were offering the rapt audience.

What's the deal with Canadian music?

Review

Wiliford joked that it "took an American" to found the Canadian Art Song Project, which focuses on getting new Canadian song repertoire written, performed, and recorded. Coming from the more fostering environment in the United States, Wiliford was surprised that Canadian performers weren't as quick to step into the role of champion for their own new music. Similarly, Alex Pauk admits that founding the Esprit Orchestra came out of his and other composers' frustration with the dearth of groups willing to program Canadian material.

Organic elegance: Orphée et Eurydice in Chicago

Review

Tacking happy endings onto tellings of traditionally tragic myths in this way was very much en vogue in the eighteenth-century. But for Neumeier's concept-driven production, while the musical substance remains the same, the story's denouement is rendered far more devastating than even the myth's usual tragic end.

Memorable nights: the TSO's tribute Glenn Gould

Review

Lisiecki had me stunned not over the deftness of his hands, but over his sense of breath, space, and chamber music. He left room for humanity in even the trickiest of passages, and he was constantly conscious of who his current duet partner was. He challenged the orchestra to play unbearably soft, and ferociously attacked the piano to achieve enormous volume, without ever leaving an ugly edge.

A lopsided & bloody double-bill at Hackney Empire

Review

The second piece of the programme was Bartók's staggering Bluebeard's Castle. Bluebeard's lush mystery couldn't have provided a stronger contrast to tense grey world of Senza Sangue. This production too began with a bare stage, but through the brilliant lighting design of Philippe Grosperrin, each of Bluebeard's seven forbidden rooms came to light.

A warm introduction: The Mozartists at Wigmore Hall

Review

On the 18th of September a new musical group, The Mozartists, was launched at Wigmore Hall. The creation of Classical Opera conductor and Artistic Director Ian Page, it aims to cultivate the music of Mozart and his contemporaries, as suggested by the name. So with the blessing of the Soul of Music on the cupola above, The Mozartists gave a successful debut.

An organic integration: The Wake World

Review

The audience literally follows Lola (Maeve Höglund) as she embarks on a wild love story with The Fairy Prince (Rihab Chaieb). Soprano Maeve Höglund sings exquisitely and brings an infectious wonder to the role. Rihab Chaieb has a rapturous voice, full of lush colors.

Dynamic and physical: Rinaldo at Oper Frankfurt

Review

Three tiny, nearly-nude dancers painted from head to toe acted as freaky humanoid henchwomen to Armida. These impish women did Armida's bidding, transforming at different points into a three-headed monster, a forest, or mermaids, and stopping time to control various characters. A particularly striking moment was when Rinaldo sang "Abbruggio, avampo, e fremo" while being tormented and yanked around by the imps on three long ropes.

"Humanity's bond to war": War Stories at O17

Review

Beecher's score is a gripping manifestation of the heart-breaking and heavy content of the libretto. His choice to use the same instruments that were used in the Monteverdi is a brilliant blend of past and present. From the very first eerie sounds that welcome us into the world of the piece, one hears similarities to George Crumb's Black Angels, which is a response to the Vietnam War.